Chapter 41

The two of them stood before a door inside the mansion, decorated more lavishly than any other. Grayton gave Daphne a subtle signal and knocked politely.

Knock, knock.

“Master. I’ve brought Miss Daphne.”

“…Let her in.”

A low voice came from beyond the door. Grayton carefully turned the handle and opened the door, stepping aside so Daphne could enter.

“……”

Daphne did not step forward right away, but stared through the open doorway. Several candles were lit, casting an orange glow on the floor.

“Go on inside, My Lady.”

Seeing Daphne hesitate, Grayton urged her gently. He had worked for Baldwin for a long time and knew well that his master had little patience.

Daphne took a slow, deep breath and finally stepped into the room.

The red carpet on the floor, the thick curtains embroidered with intricate patterns, the large mahogany desk and bookcases, the crystal cabinet filled with expensive bottles of liquor—

To Daphne, who had visited this room many times before, it was a familiar sight.

Thud. Grayton closed the door behind her. The room was filled with the scent of oak, perhaps from a wood fire.

“How late you are, after I called for you.”

Baldwin, standing by the window and looking out, spoke quietly without turning.

“Didn’t I tell you to come see me?”

“…I’m sorry, Count.”

At Baldwin’s reproach, Daphne folded her hands and apologized.

“I meant to, but I caught a cold and couldn’t help it.”

“Still making excuses, as always.”

Baldwin clicked his tongue irritably and turned to face Daphne. In his hand was a glass half-filled with golden liquor.

“Did you lose touch with reality after staying too long in Roxanne?”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’ve told you over and over. Nothing in this world is free.”

Baldwin cut her off coldly.

“Your sister is unnecessarily expensive. Like a cracked jar, she absorbs endless amounts of money.”

“……”

“In exchange for paying Lilyana’s medical bills, what did I ask of you… You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

Baldwin asked slowly, his eyes cold behind his thin metal-rimmed glasses. It was hard to believe he was looking at his own niece.

“No, I haven’t forgotten.”

Daphne answered, holding her breath.

“While I was in Roxanne, I did my best to keep my promise to you.”

“You did your best, huh…”

Baldwin swirled his glass and repeated her words.

“And the best result you could get was only the Count’s son?”

“Of course, he’s more than I deserve.”

Daphne answered firmly.

“To be honest, what gentleman in his right mind would want to marry me? I’m nothing but a poor country girl, without a title or wealth.”

“Right. No sane man would.”

Baldwin’s sarcastic smile matched his words. He slowly approached Daphne, then grabbed her chin roughly with his free hand, forcing her to look directly at him.

“But Daphne. You have a weapon that others don’t.”

Baldwin whispered, gazing down at her.

“A weapon that can turn even a dignified gentleman into a fool in an instant.”

Fresh youth and beautiful looks.

A charm no healthy man could easily resist.

“When a blooming flower gives off a sweet scent, how many bees do you think can just walk by and ignore it?”

Baldwin narrowed his eyes, asking the question with a sly smile. Despite his raised lips, his cold gaze made his face look icy.

After staring at her for a moment, he let go of her face and turned away.

“Anyway, nothing happened with that knight from the capital, right?”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’m asking if that black-haired knight laid a hand on you.”

“…You’re the one who hired the black-haired knight as my bodyguard, Count.”

Daphne replied with an incredulous look at Baldwin’s rude question.

“There’s nothing to worry about. He’s an honorable man.”

“That’s good. If you’d already been sold, that’d be one thing. But I don’t want any blemish on merchandise that hasn’t even been sold yet.”

Baldwin drank from his glass.

“I don’t care what you do behind my back, or who you fool around with. But keep your purity. If I sell you as a new product and it turns out you’re secondhand, it’ll be a problem for me.”

“That’s… too much.”

“Too much? So you do have some pride, huh?”

Baldwin sneered at Daphne’s difficult protest.

“Fine. I’ll respect you and treat you as you wish. But in return, bring me prey that will satisfy me. Not just some Count’s son, but something much more tempting—the best prey.”

“I don’t understand.”

Daphne stepped back from Baldwin.

“What do you want? Who in Westro would satisfy you?”

Her gaze was sharp as she glared at Baldwin.

“If the next Count isn’t enough, should I bring you a Marquis? Or maybe a Duke?”

“I wouldn’t refuse.”

“…If you really believe that’s possible, Count, you’re not sane.”

Daphne shook her head in disbelief.

“I know you want to use me to gain power. But how long do you think power gained by force will last? Do you really think I’ll just sit back and watch after being used so thoroughly?”

“You’ll have no choice. I have collateral.”

“Collateral?”

“Yes. Lilyana Sinclair is an excellent collateral.”

“…!”

The moment Baldwin mentioned her sister’s name, Daphne froze.

Her eyes wide, lips parted, hands trembling as she clenched her skirt.

“How… How can you say something so awful…”

“I’ve said it many times. Don’t expect unconditional kindness from me.”

Unlike the shocked Daphne, Baldwin remained indifferent.

“If you expected me to feel any family bond with you or your sister, you were mistaken. You two are worth less to me than rotten fruit fallen from a tree.”

Baldwin thought of Lily, likely bedridden now, and clicked his tongue.

“Do you know how much money I’ve spent on your sister? You couldn’t pay it off in a hundred years. So I’m just asking for a fair return. What’s the problem?”

“……”

“If you don’t like it, quit now. I’d regret the money spent, but I’ll call it family charity and let it go.”

Daphne could say nothing to Baldwin’s supposed generosity.

Quit? He spoke as if it were nothing, but Daphne knew how much Lily would suffer if she did.

Lily’s condition was already worsening. If Baldwin stopped supporting her, Lily might not survive without proper treatment.

Two choices were given to her. But really, she only had one.

“…I heard that before I was born, your relationship with my father wasn’t so bad. You traveled together, hunted together as a team.”

Daphne spoke quietly, her voice calm.

“So why do you hate my sister and me so much now?”

“……”

“If it’s because of my mother…”

Thud. Baldwin slammed his glass on the table.

“Don’t kid yourself, Daphne. I don’t hate you.”

Baldwin spoke coldly, his tone sharper than ever.

“Hate is a feeling reserved for those who matter. You don’t matter to me. All we have is a business relationship, where we exchange what we want.”

“……”

“Go now. If you keep testing my patience, I might end this arrangement myself, whether you like it or not.”

With that, Baldwin turned his back on Daphne, signaling he wouldn’t listen to anything more.

Daphne stared quietly at Baldwin’s back. He looked so much like her late father, but in every other way, there was not a single thing about him that resembled her father.

She pressed her lips together, swallowing the emotions rising in her chest. Then, after bowing slightly to Baldwin, she quietly left the room.